It's officially time, people. Time to move on. Time to migrate.
I've adjusted the www part of the SES domain to point to my new Wordpress-hosted solution. SES will still be maintained (albeit not updated) on Blogger at backup.stabilizedeffortscope.com, should this server crash and burn and I need to scramble to come home to you all. :)
It's been a great run. See you at the new SES. :D
Saturday, January 24, 2009
*gulp* Let's see how this goes...
Taking baby steps here, but SES may be making its first movement towards becoming self-hosted on the Wordpress platform!
My current work-in-progress test bed is now, IMO, good enough for public view - you can visit it at: http://test.stabilizedeffortscope.com.
And if it does go live on Wordpress, you won't have to worry about missing a beat - the entire archive of SES has been ported over, and the domain itself will just switch seamlessly!
My current work-in-progress test bed is now, IMO, good enough for public view - you can visit it at: http://test.stabilizedeffortscope.com.
And if it does go live on Wordpress, you won't have to worry about missing a beat - the entire archive of SES has been ported over, and the domain itself will just switch seamlessly!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Blizzard: Booze > Tea
I mean, I don't mind, but you notice that?
Honeymint Tea: 1.1g per 5, so 4.4g per stack
Kungaloosh: 2.55g per 25, so 2.04g per stack
And that's without faction discounts. 2g savings per stack of water, plus it's booze!
Hell yeah, Kungaloosh.
Honeymint Tea: 1.1g per 5, so 4.4g per stack
Kungaloosh: 2.55g per 25, so 2.04g per stack
And that's without faction discounts. 2g savings per stack of water, plus it's booze!
Hell yeah, Kungaloosh.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
It has begun.
[W From] [Noobhunter]: dude where u get that pet
[W To] [Noobhunter]: Unfortunately you can't get her anymore.
[W From] [Noobhunter]: wtf why
[W To] [Noobhunter]: Blizzard made her untameable - go check for yourself, she's the Sapphire Hive Queen in Sholazar.
[W From] [Noobhunter]: oh man thats stupid its so cool
[W To] [Noobhunter]: Yeah, I know :D
(Names changed to protect the innocent)
And I predict it will only increase in frequency as less and less Sapphire Hive Queens flitter about Dalaran. But what confuses me and other SHQ-loving Hunters is... Why make her, of all things, untameable? There are no bugs that I know of with her, and it's not due to interfering with people doing the quest to kill her - she respawns in about 15 seconds when killed or tamed.
Someone (was it Maevet?) through out an interesting idea - that Blizzard didn't want Hunters running around with what looked like a raid boss. But that doesn't make sense - the real Core Hounds (i.e. not the dumb green or white ones) look just like Magmadar. They're not untameable!
Meh, I guess I'm ranting. Honestly, it'll just make Ayamiss that much more unique, and make my guildies' yelling about her that much less valid, since I can't get rid of her - I couldn't ever get her back! :P
[W To] [Noobhunter]: Unfortunately you can't get her anymore.
[W From] [Noobhunter]: wtf why
[W To] [Noobhunter]: Blizzard made her untameable - go check for yourself, she's the Sapphire Hive Queen in Sholazar.
[W From] [Noobhunter]: oh man thats stupid its so cool
[W To] [Noobhunter]: Yeah, I know :D
(Names changed to protect the innocent)
And I predict it will only increase in frequency as less and less Sapphire Hive Queens flitter about Dalaran. But what confuses me and other SHQ-loving Hunters is... Why make her, of all things, untameable? There are no bugs that I know of with her, and it's not due to interfering with people doing the quest to kill her - she respawns in about 15 seconds when killed or tamed.
Someone (was it Maevet?) through out an interesting idea - that Blizzard didn't want Hunters running around with what looked like a raid boss. But that doesn't make sense - the real Core Hounds (i.e. not the dumb green or white ones) look just like Magmadar. They're not untameable!
Meh, I guess I'm ranting. Honestly, it'll just make Ayamiss that much more unique, and make my guildies' yelling about her that much less valid, since I can't get rid of her - I couldn't ever get her back! :P
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
/gloat
We have temporarily disabled all Arena matches while we investigate current rating calculation discrepancies. Further updates will be provided once we have additional information to share.
I think I speak for every SES reader when I say this: LEAVE THEM THE FUCK DISABLED FOREVER
And oh god, the PVPer tears are delicious and nutritious.
I think I speak for every SES reader when I say this: LEAVE THEM THE FUCK DISABLED FOREVER
And oh god, the PVPer tears are delicious and nutritious.
The Four-Shot Priority Rotation
Been a while since I did one of these "this is how I DPS, and I think it's a good way to DPS, so maybe try it?" kind of posts, but here goes.
3.0.8 has shaken up how we do things - how all Hunters do things. I've had to adapt in my own way, and the Four-Shot Priority Rotation (FSPR) is a result of that.
Simply stated, the FSPR is: A priority rotation of a Marksmanship Hunter's four offensive shots - Chimera over Arcane over Aimed over Steady.
Now, why that priority? Simple. Chimera is the MM ace in the hole, and with the new buff to Glyph of Serpent Sting (which if you don't have it, get off SES and go buy one NOW), our Chimera-Serpent effects are starting to be a huge factor - last night on Patchwerk, I got a 9100 damage Chimera with a 4500 damage Chimera-Serpent component. You want one of these fired every 10 seconds, on the dot, no questions asked. Just do it.
Next is Arcane. With the decrease in mana cost and the Glyph of Arcane Shot, this thing is as cheap as a Steady Shot, but hits a fair deal harder. Plus, it's magical like Chimera, so it bypasses armor and gets a boost from Curse of Elements or Earth and Moon. Demand these debuffs in your raid, if you can!
Thirdly is Aimed. Aimed and I have had an on-again, off-again relationship here in Wrath, but I think it's on for good now. Roughly the same damage as Arcane after 5 Sunders and a Sting, the reason I prioritize Arcane over Aimed is that Aimed is expensive and has a 10s cooldown unlike Arcane's 6s. If Arcane is harder, faster, and cheaper, it gets priority over Aimed. But Aimed is still more DPS than Steady spam, so weave it in!
Lastly is Steady. You can't fill in every GCD with Arc/Aim/Chim alone, so Steady is still useful. Plus, it procs ISS, which is definitely nice.
Engineers who have put a Hyperspeed Accelerator on their gloves and have a cache of bombs to rival the US may want to mimic my macro of "/use Handgrips of the Savage Emissary; /use Saronite Bomb" (but use a line break, not a semicolon) - replacing my Handgrips with the name of your gloves. Hit this every minute, and chunk bombs - like I said, nearly 3% of my 3650 DPS on Patchwerk last night was from bombs!
So if you're one of the new Marksman who's a refugee from the BM camp of thought, I invite you to try my 7/57/7 (switching the point in Silencing for a point in Rapid Recuperation if you think Silencing is not a PVE talent), and try the FSPR. Go make a date with one of the training dummies and see what you think.
And as always, lemme know if you have questions, comments, concerns, death threats, marriage proposals, *stung by Ayamiss*
3.0.8 has shaken up how we do things - how all Hunters do things. I've had to adapt in my own way, and the Four-Shot Priority Rotation (FSPR) is a result of that.
Simply stated, the FSPR is: A priority rotation of a Marksmanship Hunter's four offensive shots - Chimera over Arcane over Aimed over Steady.
Now, why that priority? Simple. Chimera is the MM ace in the hole, and with the new buff to Glyph of Serpent Sting (which if you don't have it, get off SES and go buy one NOW), our Chimera-Serpent effects are starting to be a huge factor - last night on Patchwerk, I got a 9100 damage Chimera with a 4500 damage Chimera-Serpent component. You want one of these fired every 10 seconds, on the dot, no questions asked. Just do it.
Next is Arcane. With the decrease in mana cost and the Glyph of Arcane Shot, this thing is as cheap as a Steady Shot, but hits a fair deal harder. Plus, it's magical like Chimera, so it bypasses armor and gets a boost from Curse of Elements or Earth and Moon. Demand these debuffs in your raid, if you can!
Thirdly is Aimed. Aimed and I have had an on-again, off-again relationship here in Wrath, but I think it's on for good now. Roughly the same damage as Arcane after 5 Sunders and a Sting, the reason I prioritize Arcane over Aimed is that Aimed is expensive and has a 10s cooldown unlike Arcane's 6s. If Arcane is harder, faster, and cheaper, it gets priority over Aimed. But Aimed is still more DPS than Steady spam, so weave it in!
Lastly is Steady. You can't fill in every GCD with Arc/Aim/Chim alone, so Steady is still useful. Plus, it procs ISS, which is definitely nice.
Engineers who have put a Hyperspeed Accelerator on their gloves and have a cache of bombs to rival the US may want to mimic my macro of "/use Handgrips of the Savage Emissary; /use Saronite Bomb" (but use a line break, not a semicolon) - replacing my Handgrips with the name of your gloves. Hit this every minute, and chunk bombs - like I said, nearly 3% of my 3650 DPS on Patchwerk last night was from bombs!
So if you're one of the new Marksman who's a refugee from the BM camp of thought, I invite you to try my 7/57/7 (switching the point in Silencing for a point in Rapid Recuperation if you think Silencing is not a PVE talent), and try the FSPR. Go make a date with one of the training dummies and see what you think.
And as always, lemme know if you have questions, comments, concerns, death threats, marriage proposals, *stung by Ayamiss*
There are no words.
[01:54:12] Maevet passed on: [Green Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:54:16] Maevet passed on: [Yellow Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:54:16] You passed on: [Green Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:54:16] Everyone passed on: [Green Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:54:17] You passed on: [Yellow Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:54:17] Everyone passed on: [Yellow Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:54:27] You passed on: [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:54:28] Maevet passed on: [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:54:28] Everyone passed on: [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
(yes, that's all from one 4-pack of Anubisaths)
[01:54:16] Maevet passed on: [Yellow Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:54:16] You passed on: [Green Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:54:16] Everyone passed on: [Green Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:54:17] You passed on: [Yellow Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:54:17] Everyone passed on: [Yellow Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:54:27] You passed on: [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:54:28] Maevet passed on: [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:54:28] Everyone passed on: [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
(yes, that's all from one 4-pack of Anubisaths)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Aftermath.
Naxxramas. Great place. Lots of bugs. Plenty of stuff to kill.
In the aftermath of the "great hunter nerf of 3.0.8", I was eager to glean some numbers and experience with both my new rotation (4-shot priority) and my new satchel of bombs and Hyperspeed Accelerators.
Suffice it to say, the numbers freaking rock.
3650 DPS on Patchwerk (with 2.7% from Saronite Bombs). 4200 DPS on Loatheb. An overall composite of 2600 DPS, with my newfound bombs counting for a shocking 1.9% of my total DPS.
I can't vouch for my Beast Master or Survivalist brethren, but if you're a Marksman and you're doing it "right", the numbers are looking good.
Aimed and Arcane both need to be woven in, Steady needs to be a distant fourth priority, keep your Wasps about you, and go to it, Marksmen. 3.0.8 is the time!
In the aftermath of the "great hunter nerf of 3.0.8", I was eager to glean some numbers and experience with both my new rotation (4-shot priority) and my new satchel of bombs and Hyperspeed Accelerators.
Suffice it to say, the numbers freaking rock.
3650 DPS on Patchwerk (with 2.7% from Saronite Bombs). 4200 DPS on Loatheb. An overall composite of 2600 DPS, with my newfound bombs counting for a shocking 1.9% of my total DPS.
I can't vouch for my Beast Master or Survivalist brethren, but if you're a Marksman and you're doing it "right", the numbers are looking good.
Aimed and Arcane both need to be woven in, Steady needs to be a distant fourth priority, keep your Wasps about you, and go to it, Marksmen. 3.0.8 is the time!
You create: [Box of Bombs].
So Blizzard realized that we Engineers don't use bombs. Of course we don't, they're too expensive, not good enough, and they had a cast time/were on the GCD.
Ahahahaha, oh how that has changed.
I'm on the PTR right now, screwing around and waiting for the patch to come live so I can download it, patch up, then zonk out until the servers are up.
So I look at this new "increased bomb result/decreased mat" recipe they promised us for Saronite Bombs.
5 Saronite Bars and 1 Volatile Blasting Trigger, eh? I have those in the bank. So I'll make this "box of bombs". 2 second cast to make it, me like.
Open the box...
Thirty. One. Fucking. Saronite. Bombs.
THIRTY ONE BOMBS FOR 5 BARS OF METAL.
I DO NOT NEED TO INFORM YOU OF THE HIGH QUANTITY OF WIN THIS INFERS.
Well, they still have that cast time and GCD, though, so... *throw*
WAIT A SECOND
BOMBS AREN'T ON THE GCD AND HAVE NO CAST TIME EITHER?!
You're telling me, I can throw a Saronite Bomb every minute, on the minute, for no GCD and no cast time?!?!
Hell. Freaking. Yes.
So, uh, yeah. I'm gonna start weaving bombs into my DPS rotation. Go figure.
Edit: ahaha, get this, they give me mana from AotV, too. This is AWESOME.
Ahahahaha, oh how that has changed.
I'm on the PTR right now, screwing around and waiting for the patch to come live so I can download it, patch up, then zonk out until the servers are up.
So I look at this new "increased bomb result/decreased mat" recipe they promised us for Saronite Bombs.
5 Saronite Bars and 1 Volatile Blasting Trigger, eh? I have those in the bank. So I'll make this "box of bombs". 2 second cast to make it, me like.
Open the box...
Thirty. One. Fucking. Saronite. Bombs.
THIRTY ONE BOMBS FOR 5 BARS OF METAL.
I DO NOT NEED TO INFORM YOU OF THE HIGH QUANTITY OF WIN THIS INFERS.
Well, they still have that cast time and GCD, though, so... *throw*
WAIT A SECOND
BOMBS AREN'T ON THE GCD AND HAVE NO CAST TIME EITHER?!
You're telling me, I can throw a Saronite Bomb every minute, on the minute, for no GCD and no cast time?!?!
Hell. Freaking. Yes.
So, uh, yeah. I'm gonna start weaving bombs into my DPS rotation. Go figure.
Edit: ahaha, get this, they give me mana from AotV, too. This is AWESOME.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Allow me to rant for a bit, if I may.
Today is Monday. One of the two main raid days that I get to go to Naxxramas. Right?
Guess not.
Now, looking over at who's going for ranged DPS, I see a couple of people who belong in Naxx... and then another person who other friends of mine have complained about their woefully sub-par DPS. Like under 1000 DPS in a heroic sub-par.
And I'm wait-listed for this person?
Normally, if it were bosses that I didn't care about, I wouldn't even be that irate, really. But today, we're doing 4H, Sapphiron, and KT. Three bosses that I absolutely need loot from, and two bosses that we haven't even downed yet. Last week, when I was unable to log on in time (2 minutes late, awesome), they tried Sapphiron and complained repeatedly about a lack of DPS.
You don't think my 2500+ DPS would've helped and would help today when we're doing it again?
Every time something like this happens, it gets harder and harder for me to rationalize spending so much gold and time per week just getting prepped and ready to go for raid time. Why bother with all that effort if I'm gonna get wait-listed just because someone signed up a couple of hours before I did.
Hey, I guess I could go do some heroics and try and get some Abyss Crystals.
[13:21:13] Rilgon rolls 90 (1-100)
[13:21:14] Vaeyn rolls 100 (1-100)
or not.
Guess not.
Now, looking over at who's going for ranged DPS, I see a couple of people who belong in Naxx... and then another person who other friends of mine have complained about their woefully sub-par DPS. Like under 1000 DPS in a heroic sub-par.
And I'm wait-listed for this person?
Normally, if it were bosses that I didn't care about, I wouldn't even be that irate, really. But today, we're doing 4H, Sapphiron, and KT. Three bosses that I absolutely need loot from, and two bosses that we haven't even downed yet. Last week, when I was unable to log on in time (2 minutes late, awesome), they tried Sapphiron and complained repeatedly about a lack of DPS.
You don't think my 2500+ DPS would've helped and would help today when we're doing it again?
Every time something like this happens, it gets harder and harder for me to rationalize spending so much gold and time per week just getting prepped and ready to go for raid time. Why bother with all that effort if I'm gonna get wait-listed just because someone signed up a couple of hours before I did.
Hey, I guess I could go do some heroics and try and get some Abyss Crystals.
[13:21:13] Rilgon rolls 90 (1-100)
[13:21:14] Vaeyn rolls 100 (1-100)
or not.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
It's bittersweet, in a way.
The sweet is the fact that a MM Hunter is going to be on the BRK podcast - coming on the heels of the Survival-oriented Episode 12, I think this is fantastic. And Lienna did a wonderful job dissecting the spec and its functioning for listeners.
The bitter? The MM Hunter isn't me.
I'm certain Nassira will do a fantastic job representing us on the podcast, but... meh. With my stupidly lofty aspirations, and the fact that SES's been around longer than Nass's blog (March 08 for SES versus September 80 for DoaMMH), it stings just a tiny bit.
But I'll be cheering her on, regardless. :) If it's not me, at least it's one of us.
The bitter? The MM Hunter isn't me.
I'm certain Nassira will do a fantastic job representing us on the podcast, but... meh. With my stupidly lofty aspirations, and the fact that SES's been around longer than Nass's blog (March 08 for SES versus September 80 for DoaMMH), it stings just a tiny bit.
But I'll be cheering her on, regardless. :) If it's not me, at least it's one of us.
Friday, January 16, 2009
That squealing? Yeah, that's Rimyth.
11) Improved Divine Spirit seems lackluster compared to Flametongue totem. Can we look at this and balance it?
I would be surprised if this portion of the Discipline tree looked the same in 3.1. I'll leave it at that.
Sheesh, both my main and my alt getting overhauls in 3.1? I may not have enough rum to deal with this... I like the concept of Improved DS - yeah, it's not as good as FT Totem or other spellpower buffs, but it's there at a level when most SP buffs aren't. :(
Oh well, whatever comes may come and I'll face it with an open heart and an empty stomach.
Wait, never mind, wrong occupation.
I would be surprised if this portion of the Discipline tree looked the same in 3.1. I'll leave it at that.
Sheesh, both my main and my alt getting overhauls in 3.1? I may not have enough rum to deal with this... I like the concept of Improved DS - yeah, it's not as good as FT Totem or other spellpower buffs, but it's there at a level when most SP buffs aren't. :(
Oh well, whatever comes may come and I'll face it with an open heart and an empty stomach.
Wait, never mind, wrong occupation.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Survival Talent + BM Hunter = wait what
Regardless of the conundrum that exists from a BM Hunter naming their blog after a Survival talent, Point of No Escape is the newest member of the SES Blogroll.
I swear, one of these days, I'm gonna browse through my SiteMeter and find a MM Hunter other than the ones I have linked linking to me. :(
I swear, one of these days, I'm gonna browse through my SiteMeter and find a MM Hunter other than the ones I have linked linking to me. :(
And I would've gotten away with it...
...if it weren't for you stinking blue posters! *shakes fist*
Preening the most important Blue news from my RSS feeds, giving you some Rilgon bitchery and commentary, and calling it news. That's how we roll at SES. >_>;
Cunning pets overall just are a waste of code at this point. Roar of Recovery is useful, but at a 6min cooldown makes it a drop in the bucket.
While 400 dps is low, you are making the assumption that anything that isn’t a raiding pet is a waste of code. Those pets weren’t intended to be for raiding – that’s what Ferocity pets are for. Thanks for all of the numbers though, Neruse.
Gee, thanks. Would've been nice if you'd made that clear to begin with. Jackasses.
The Scrapbot will indeed gain the ability to repair in a future patch.
GLORY AND HALLELUJAH! And it's the first CHEAP repair bot EVER!
...too bad Engineering is still worthless, even with this change.
If all of that confuses you, the take home message is we fixed a bug where your [DK Tanks] threat would be low after dying. Again, by the time you read this, the bug should have been hotfixed.
Hrm, that might explain why most DK tanks SUCK AT THREAT, JESUS CHRIST.
In the hunter case, it may be that they do scale just fine but it is irrelevant because we are rebalancing hunters for 3.1.
*gulp* So how's your alt leveling going? :x
Preening the most important Blue news from my RSS feeds, giving you some Rilgon bitchery and commentary, and calling it news. That's how we roll at SES. >_>;
Cunning pets overall just are a waste of code at this point. Roar of Recovery is useful, but at a 6min cooldown makes it a drop in the bucket.
While 400 dps is low, you are making the assumption that anything that isn’t a raiding pet is a waste of code. Those pets weren’t intended to be for raiding – that’s what Ferocity pets are for. Thanks for all of the numbers though, Neruse.
Gee, thanks. Would've been nice if you'd made that clear to begin with. Jackasses.
The Scrapbot will indeed gain the ability to repair in a future patch.
GLORY AND HALLELUJAH! And it's the first CHEAP repair bot EVER!
...too bad Engineering is still worthless, even with this change.
If all of that confuses you, the take home message is we fixed a bug where your [DK Tanks] threat would be low after dying. Again, by the time you read this, the bug should have been hotfixed.
Hrm, that might explain why most DK tanks SUCK AT THREAT, JESUS CHRIST.
In the hunter case, it may be that they do scale just fine but it is irrelevant because we are rebalancing hunters for 3.1.
*gulp* So how's your alt leveling going? :x
These boots are made for shootin'...
...and that's just what they did!
The months-long drought of not seeing any loot that's an upgrade for me, and if I did see it, losing it in spectacular fashion in any all-KoV raid is over! Big <3 to everyone who decided to hit Noth last night first, because I love my new pair of Trespasser's Boots!
And we still blew Patchwerk away, which I maintain is the best 4 and a half minutes of my WoW time every week. A fight where my ONLY focus is absolute "turn it up to 11" DPS. Something I can just absolutely zone out in, let myself lapse into some sort of Marksmanship trance, and just un-freakin'-load on.
And lemme tell you, having a Boomkin for Earth and Moon rocks. 8k+4k Chimera Shot double-crits are the stuff dreams are made of. :D
oh, and Maevet and I went and 2-manned most of AQ20 afterwords, plus got a trio of bugs each by duo-ing all the pre-Skeram trash in AQ40 (repeatedly). Now only one remains - the elusive, precious, Achievement-granting Red Qiraji Resonating Crystal!
The months-long drought of not seeing any loot that's an upgrade for me, and if I did see it, losing it in spectacular fashion in any all-KoV raid is over! Big <3 to everyone who decided to hit Noth last night first, because I love my new pair of Trespasser's Boots!
And we still blew Patchwerk away, which I maintain is the best 4 and a half minutes of my WoW time every week. A fight where my ONLY focus is absolute "turn it up to 11" DPS. Something I can just absolutely zone out in, let myself lapse into some sort of Marksmanship trance, and just un-freakin'-load on.
And lemme tell you, having a Boomkin for Earth and Moon rocks. 8k+4k Chimera Shot double-crits are the stuff dreams are made of. :D
oh, and Maevet and I went and 2-manned most of AQ20 afterwords, plus got a trio of bugs each by duo-ing all the pre-Skeram trash in AQ40 (repeatedly). Now only one remains - the elusive, precious, Achievement-granting Red Qiraji Resonating Crystal!
I swear this is what the Orkin man does on his spare time.
[01:26:48] Maevet has selected Greed for: [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:26:54] You have selected Greed for: [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:26:54] Greed Roll - 7 for [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal] by Rilgon
[01:26:54] Greed Roll - 8 for [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal] by Maevet
[01:26:54] Maevet won: [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:26:55] Maevet receives loot: [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal].
[01:26:54] You have selected Greed for: [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:26:54] Greed Roll - 7 for [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal] by Rilgon
[01:26:54] Greed Roll - 8 for [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal] by Maevet
[01:26:54] Maevet won: [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal]
[01:26:55] Maevet receives loot: [Blue Qiraji Resonating Crystal].
Monday, January 12, 2009
And another one for the road!
I dunno, she's got too many cats on her banner thingy for my taste, but they'll get nerfed next patch anyways. /flee
In that whole spirit of "you link me and I link you", Eresin is joining the SES Blogroll! So liek... go read her (and everything in the SES Blogroll)... or something... yeah.
In that whole spirit of "you link me and I link you", Eresin is joining the SES Blogroll! So liek... go read her (and everything in the SES Blogroll)... or something... yeah.
I don't think that's a valid Windows command...
I mean, I work in IT. I've never had to use Ctrl-Alt-1337 on a box.
Oh wait, you mean it's a blog? Ahaha, silly me. :P
Ctrl-Alt-1337 is a new Wordpress blog which has linked SES, and in kind, it's getting linked ON SES! I'll be watching with interest. ;)
Oh wait, you mean it's a blog? Ahaha, silly me. :P
Ctrl-Alt-1337 is a new Wordpress blog which has linked SES, and in kind, it's getting linked ON SES! I'll be watching with interest. ;)
Sunday, January 11, 2009
If only my mana pool were that big...
I wish to congratulate Twitter follower Requisition for the above screenshot (cropped) of my 20,000th hit!
Man, I'll tell you, back in March 08, when I started SES, I would've NEVER conceived of getting 20,000 different visitors, especially in under a year. Though, with links from such esteemed bloggers as BigRedKitty, Breana, Pike, and all the other "lesser-known" bloggers who link to me, I guess it was simply... a matter of time.
I am honestly awed that so many people consider SES worth reading, and beyond that, so many people have linked to my guides and posts as ammunition for arguments, criterion for raid preparedness, or just their raw humor. I'm eternally grateful to every positive commenter, for you guys are why SES exists.
Moving forward? I want SES to stand and shine brightly in the BM-dominated Hunter blogscape. Not that anything's wrong with the BM bloggers, but we need some parity of representation, people! Beyond that, I'd like to try and forge SES into something that's as synonymous with Marksmanship Hunters as BigRedKitty is with Beast Mastery Hunters (and Hunters in general) - I know I'm light-years away from that point, but that's my goal.
I may move SES to a self-hosted Wordpress solution at some point if I find I'm outgrowing the Blogger platform. Not sure if it'll ever happen, but if it does, you'll always find your hot, fresh, Marksmanship-biased news on the Stabilized Effort Scope News Network.
Thank you all for making running Stabilized Effort Scope a joy and a true passionate work. Originally what was just my sounding board as a vanilla veteran meandering through BC's new world has truly become something all its own - a haven for Marksmanship Hunters to come, to learn, and to be encouraged. May it continue on its path, with me at its helm, and you as its crew.
~Rilgon
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Who doesn't take 5/5 in it?
No, not Lethal Shots the talent, Lethal Shots the blog!
Part of the "hey, they linked me, better link back" program, Lethal Shots is joining the SES blogroll. Shame about some of the company I have to put up being amongst, but Santyn's isn't the only blog where it's the case, so *shrug*.
I'm also condensing my blogroll a bit - the title of the blog's newest post is being removed (unless there's enough outcry against it), but the time since last update will remain so I (and you) know what's new.
Part of the "hey, they linked me, better link back" program, Lethal Shots is joining the SES blogroll. Shame about some of the company I have to put up being amongst, but Santyn's isn't the only blog where it's the case, so *shrug*.
I'm also condensing my blogroll a bit - the title of the blog's newest post is being removed (unless there's enough outcry against it), but the time since last update will remain so I (and you) know what's new.
I have this insane idea.
What is it? Simple.
Solo Onyxia.
I know Paladins, Druids, and DKs can do it. I want to see if I can as well.
I don't think I'd respec myself at all, but I know Kongsecrate would get a respec to something like this - less offensive abilities, way more defensive abilities, plus RoS to keep me alive during the air phase.
Any thoughts or input from someone that's tried it/done it?
Solo Onyxia.
I know Paladins, Druids, and DKs can do it. I want to see if I can as well.
I don't think I'd respec myself at all, but I know Kongsecrate would get a respec to something like this - less offensive abilities, way more defensive abilities, plus RoS to keep me alive during the air phase.
Any thoughts or input from someone that's tried it/done it?
Friday, January 9, 2009
"That's a pretty hefty nerf"
Stolen shamelessly from EJ because it makes me giggle with glee: (Source)
Rake Studies
Borrowing the math used in the spreadsheet, with some adjusted modifiers to make it a bit more generic.
Assumptions:
3765 PetAP
Modifiers: 15% crit/miss/dodge, 25% mood, 10% ferocity, 9% spiked collar, 2% blood frenzy, 3% sanc aura, 30% mangle
Total mod: 235% (Please note that I'm leaving out some Unleashed Fury, Kindred Spirits, and T7-2pc to make it a bit more generic. Any further modifiers will increase the difference between live and post-patch damage).
Live
Initial: (29 + 3765*.06)*2.35=687 (note the 6% scaling, not 7% - I'm just going by the formula in the spreadsheet)
DoT: (21 + 3765*.07)*2.35=669
Total Damage (no longevity): 687+669*3 = 2694
DPS (no longevity): 269.4
Post-Patch
Initial: (29 + 3765*.0175)*2.35=223
Dot: (21 + 3765*.0175)*2.35=204
Total (no longevity): 223+204*3=835
DPS (no longevity): 83.5
That's a pretty hefty nerf, but it does indeed bring it inline with other pets. The damage appears to be comparable to a wasp's sting.
/dance
Rake Studies
Borrowing the math used in the spreadsheet, with some adjusted modifiers to make it a bit more generic.
Assumptions:
3765 PetAP
Modifiers: 15% crit/miss/dodge, 25% mood, 10% ferocity, 9% spiked collar, 2% blood frenzy, 3% sanc aura, 30% mangle
Total mod: 235% (Please note that I'm leaving out some Unleashed Fury, Kindred Spirits, and T7-2pc to make it a bit more generic. Any further modifiers will increase the difference between live and post-patch damage).
Live
Initial: (29 + 3765*.06)*2.35=687 (note the 6% scaling, not 7% - I'm just going by the formula in the spreadsheet)
DoT: (21 + 3765*.07)*2.35=669
Total Damage (no longevity): 687+669*3 = 2694
DPS (no longevity): 269.4
Post-Patch
Initial: (29 + 3765*.0175)*2.35=223
Dot: (21 + 3765*.0175)*2.35=204
Total (no longevity): 223+204*3=835
DPS (no longevity): 83.5
That's a pretty hefty nerf, but it does indeed bring it inline with other pets. The damage appears to be comparable to a wasp's sting.
/dance
Request: Data on Bandit's Insignia
I hear a lot of murmurings and stuff that this thing is stronger than Darkmoon Card: Greatness (Agility). I don't buy it.
So I'm asking you, my noble readers (readherjar?), for data on this trinket.
Or it shall be engraved upon your soul!
So I'm asking you, my noble readers (readherjar?), for data on this trinket.
Or it shall be engraved upon your soul!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
amg i neds teh saronitez
So. You probably typed "saronite farming" into Google. Then you saw "Stabilized Effort Scope". For whatever reason, you clicked it, and got a bunch of Hunter crap. You probably rolled your eyes, hit back, and went to another page.
This blog post's for you, Mister Saronite Farmer Guy.
Now, as a Hunter, I need a boatload of Saronite and Cobalt for my ammo. You know how I do it? I use a combination of mods to rake it in by the bucketload.
Cartographer, GatherMate, GatherMate_Data, and Routes. Get them, install them, then come back to this post.
*sips on some Honeymint Tea*
Back? You restarted WoW, right? Let's get to work.
First things first - you need to pull the WoWhead database into your GatherMate database. Type /gathermate to bring up the config UI for GatherMate (herein called GM). Click on the plus symbol next to Import Data, then click GatherMateData. You'll get a list of things you want to pull the data for - mine nodes, herb nodes, fish nodes, gas clouds, and treasure chests. Select what you want, then click the Import GatherMateData button. Give it a second or two, and bam. You have a fat, ready-to-rock database of node locations.
Now we get to the meat of my trickery - Routes. Type /routes to pull up a config UI. Set up the options in the Options menu it already has open, and then we'll start by setting up a route.
Click where it says Add on the left side. This brings up the Add Route dialog. First thing first - let's pick a zone. I'm fond of farming in Icecrown, so select Icecrown from the dropdown. Make sure that Cartographer and GatherMate are selected in "Select sources of data". Now, give your route a name in the name box, such as "AMG TEH TITANIUMZ". Scroll all the way down to where it lists the GatherMate data points to use, and choose "Titanium Node", then hit Create Route.
Now, if you look at your map for Icecrown, you probably see a clustered mess of crappy lines. Like... this?
You're not gonna mine SHIT with that route. It's too chaotic and hard to follow! We're gonna clean that crap up.
Go back into the /routes menu. Click the plus sign near Routes, then click the plus sign near Icecrown, then click your new AMG TEH TITANIUMZ route. You see five tabs in the right screen - the one you want is "Optimize Route".
The first thing you wanna do is hit the Cluster button - it makes all data points within 60 map clicks of each other (pretty small radius) one data point. That limits the number of data points the route calculates. Then, once that's done, check the box that says Extra Optimization (to get the best route you can) and then click the Background button to optimize your Titanium route in the background so it doesn't freeze up WoW while it processes.
This will likely take 2-3 minutes, so go do something else. AFK, pwn noobs in a battleground, whatever.
Now that your route is done optimizing and stuff, go back to the map and look at Icecrown again. You probably have something much more manageable, that looks sorta like this:
Now that's a hell of a lot more concise, ain't it! Get on your dragon/gryphon/balding chicken/wyvern/shapeshifted form, get to Icecrown, and follow that line to SHINIES!
Any questions? Please comment, IM me on AIM, or tweet!
This blog post's for you, Mister Saronite Farmer Guy.
Now, as a Hunter, I need a boatload of Saronite and Cobalt for my ammo. You know how I do it? I use a combination of mods to rake it in by the bucketload.
Cartographer, GatherMate, GatherMate_Data, and Routes. Get them, install them, then come back to this post.
*sips on some Honeymint Tea*
Back? You restarted WoW, right? Let's get to work.
First things first - you need to pull the WoWhead database into your GatherMate database. Type /gathermate to bring up the config UI for GatherMate (herein called GM). Click on the plus symbol next to Import Data, then click GatherMateData. You'll get a list of things you want to pull the data for - mine nodes, herb nodes, fish nodes, gas clouds, and treasure chests. Select what you want, then click the Import GatherMateData button. Give it a second or two, and bam. You have a fat, ready-to-rock database of node locations.
Now we get to the meat of my trickery - Routes. Type /routes to pull up a config UI. Set up the options in the Options menu it already has open, and then we'll start by setting up a route.
Click where it says Add on the left side. This brings up the Add Route dialog. First thing first - let's pick a zone. I'm fond of farming in Icecrown, so select Icecrown from the dropdown. Make sure that Cartographer and GatherMate are selected in "Select sources of data". Now, give your route a name in the name box, such as "AMG TEH TITANIUMZ". Scroll all the way down to where it lists the GatherMate data points to use, and choose "Titanium Node", then hit Create Route.
Now, if you look at your map for Icecrown, you probably see a clustered mess of crappy lines. Like... this?
You're not gonna mine SHIT with that route. It's too chaotic and hard to follow! We're gonna clean that crap up.
Go back into the /routes menu. Click the plus sign near Routes, then click the plus sign near Icecrown, then click your new AMG TEH TITANIUMZ route. You see five tabs in the right screen - the one you want is "Optimize Route".
The first thing you wanna do is hit the Cluster button - it makes all data points within 60 map clicks of each other (pretty small radius) one data point. That limits the number of data points the route calculates. Then, once that's done, check the box that says Extra Optimization (to get the best route you can) and then click the Background button to optimize your Titanium route in the background so it doesn't freeze up WoW while it processes.
This will likely take 2-3 minutes, so go do something else. AFK, pwn noobs in a battleground, whatever.
Now that your route is done optimizing and stuff, go back to the map and look at Icecrown again. You probably have something much more manageable, that looks sorta like this:
Now that's a hell of a lot more concise, ain't it! Get on your dragon/gryphon/balding chicken/wyvern/shapeshifted form, get to Icecrown, and follow that line to SHINIES!
Any questions? Please comment, IM me on AIM, or tweet!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
3.0.8 - The New Patch Notes
Never fair. Hardly balanced. This... is Stabilized Effort Scope News.
Thank you for tuning in to Stabilized Effort Scope News, I'm Rilgon Arcsinh.
It would appear that the currently-running 3.0.8 Public Test Realm has had its patch notes revamped. As is with any patch, there are several changes that are meaningful to us here at SES News, and it's our job to bring you all of the important Marksmanship and Engineering news of the day.
The first two changes are changes we've known about for a while - Arcane Shot is having its mana cost reduced to 5% of base mana, to match Steady Shot, and Explosive Shot is having its scaling ratcheted up several notches to compensate for the Steady Shot nerf. Us at SES News would like to wonder where the Marksmanship compensation for the nerf is, but then again, it's Ghostcrawler, he just does whatever looks good.
In other news, Tranquilizing Shot is having its cooldown reduced to six seconds. This is a welcome change, especially in Naxxramas - nothing more frustrating than having one of the horse-dudes pre-Razuvius use Bone Armor more than once every 15 seconds and just sit there wagging your tail because you can't punch through it. No more!
On to our "Bugs Suck" segment - there are a few cardinal bugs that Blizzard has finally fixed in 3.0.8, including bugs that yours truly reported via the /bug system. First off, the talent Marked for Death now properly boosts Steady Shot AND properly works with Glyph of Steady Shot. Maybe Blizzard thinks this is our compensation for the SS nerf? Who knows. Growl and Cower are no longer fighting for a cooldown - they have their own! Plus Cower and Prowl won't be turning themselves on automatically anymore! Spore Cloud and Dust Cloud, both abilities of some of my pets, are functioning properly - they auto-cast, cast at the mob, and aren't broken anymore! Righteous! And finally, if you have your T6 two-piece sitting in the bank, it's been revamped to work with our new Viper. Not sure how, but hey!
On to our "Profession Panel" - BIG change for Miners, and laughable changes for Engineers. First on the mining side - Mining a node only takes one swing! Yes, no longer are we the only gatherers that have to hit a node 2-8 times; we get the entire goodies from a node with one hit! EXCELLENT! *air-guitar*
Druid and Paladin Engineers will rejoice - Holy Paladin Goggles and Feral Druid Goggles are now available for you all. Apparently the mats for Saronite Bombs are changed and give more bombs per combine, and the changes to the Hyperspeed Accelerators (1m Cooldown, 10s Duration) ARE intended! Maybe I'll end up using them...
Well, that's all the news we have today, but remember - if you want news with a blatant Engineering and Marksmanship bias, there's only one place to tune to - Stabilized Effort Scope News.
Thank you for tuning in to Stabilized Effort Scope News, I'm Rilgon Arcsinh.
It would appear that the currently-running 3.0.8 Public Test Realm has had its patch notes revamped. As is with any patch, there are several changes that are meaningful to us here at SES News, and it's our job to bring you all of the important Marksmanship and Engineering news of the day.
The first two changes are changes we've known about for a while - Arcane Shot is having its mana cost reduced to 5% of base mana, to match Steady Shot, and Explosive Shot is having its scaling ratcheted up several notches to compensate for the Steady Shot nerf. Us at SES News would like to wonder where the Marksmanship compensation for the nerf is, but then again, it's Ghostcrawler, he just does whatever looks good.
In other news, Tranquilizing Shot is having its cooldown reduced to six seconds. This is a welcome change, especially in Naxxramas - nothing more frustrating than having one of the horse-dudes pre-Razuvius use Bone Armor more than once every 15 seconds and just sit there wagging your tail because you can't punch through it. No more!
On to our "Bugs Suck" segment - there are a few cardinal bugs that Blizzard has finally fixed in 3.0.8, including bugs that yours truly reported via the /bug system. First off, the talent Marked for Death now properly boosts Steady Shot AND properly works with Glyph of Steady Shot. Maybe Blizzard thinks this is our compensation for the SS nerf? Who knows. Growl and Cower are no longer fighting for a cooldown - they have their own! Plus Cower and Prowl won't be turning themselves on automatically anymore! Spore Cloud and Dust Cloud, both abilities of some of my pets, are functioning properly - they auto-cast, cast at the mob, and aren't broken anymore! Righteous! And finally, if you have your T6 two-piece sitting in the bank, it's been revamped to work with our new Viper. Not sure how, but hey!
On to our "Profession Panel" - BIG change for Miners, and laughable changes for Engineers. First on the mining side - Mining a node only takes one swing! Yes, no longer are we the only gatherers that have to hit a node 2-8 times; we get the entire goodies from a node with one hit! EXCELLENT! *air-guitar*
Druid and Paladin Engineers will rejoice - Holy Paladin Goggles and Feral Druid Goggles are now available for you all. Apparently the mats for Saronite Bombs are changed and give more bombs per combine, and the changes to the Hyperspeed Accelerators (1m Cooldown, 10s Duration) ARE intended! Maybe I'll end up using them...
Well, that's all the news we have today, but remember - if you want news with a blatant Engineering and Marksmanship bias, there's only one place to tune to - Stabilized Effort Scope News.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Answers for Google searches (20090106)
"can hunters feign death on heigan": You sure bet we can! I have to do it pretty routinely due to slower tank threat on him than normal, since he hits like a putz.
"is heartseeker the best scope": Well, other than a Stabilized Effort Scope, it sure is. :P
"mm rotation for 3.0.8": IMO, this is going to be a priority rotation of Chimera, Arcane, and Steady. I'm toying with the idea of firing Aimeds as well for DPS enhancement, but I'll make that call once the patch breaks.
"wraith spear or black ice": Are you hit capped? If so, the Spear (but hold off for Claymore of Ancient Power!), if not, get some Ice.
"is diamond cut refractor scope good": Hell no. Plus I'm pretty sure it doesn't affect specials, which makes it bunk.
"improved steady shot": YES, IT'S GOOD, GET 3/3 DAMNIT
"is heartseeker the best scope": Well, other than a Stabilized Effort Scope, it sure is. :P
"mm rotation for 3.0.8": IMO, this is going to be a priority rotation of Chimera, Arcane, and Steady. I'm toying with the idea of firing Aimeds as well for DPS enhancement, but I'll make that call once the patch breaks.
"wraith spear or black ice": Are you hit capped? If so, the Spear (but hold off for Claymore of Ancient Power!), if not, get some Ice.
"is diamond cut refractor scope good": Hell no. Plus I'm pretty sure it doesn't affect specials, which makes it bunk.
"improved steady shot": YES, IT'S GOOD, GET 3/3 DAMNIT
Slow days on the news front...
Apologies for the lack of posts - nothing notable has been happening at all, be it on the global scope or the limited Rilgon scope.
Apparently GC has posted the numbers of the Cat/Scorpid nerfs - Scorpid Poison no longer stacks, which is DEFINITELY going to unseat them from their position as #1 DPS pet, but I'm not so sure about Rake. Only math will tell.
In other news, cracked 4000 DPS for the first time this week in a BIG way - 4600 DPS on 25-man Archavon with what was basically a perfect raid composition for my buffs. Sunder, Sting, Earth and Moon, Leader of the Pack, BoK/M/W/S, you name it, I had it, and holy god did my DPS reflect it. :)
Anyways, I'll keep my ear to the Internether and see if I can glean some math on the new Cat and Scorpid performance. And if you need me for anything, AIM me, tweet me, or comment, damnit! :P
Apparently GC has posted the numbers of the Cat/Scorpid nerfs - Scorpid Poison no longer stacks, which is DEFINITELY going to unseat them from their position as #1 DPS pet, but I'm not so sure about Rake. Only math will tell.
In other news, cracked 4000 DPS for the first time this week in a BIG way - 4600 DPS on 25-man Archavon with what was basically a perfect raid composition for my buffs. Sunder, Sting, Earth and Moon, Leader of the Pack, BoK/M/W/S, you name it, I had it, and holy god did my DPS reflect it. :)
Anyways, I'll keep my ear to the Internether and see if I can glean some math on the new Cat and Scorpid performance. And if you need me for anything, AIM me, tweet me, or comment, damnit! :P
Friday, January 2, 2009
So is this one 4-days long like the old one?
Wait, that would be Alterac Valley, not Alterac Volley. Yep, yet another blog has seen it fit to link Stabilized Effort Scope, and as a blogger who repays linkage in kind, it's going on the SES Blogroll!
Sheesh, with the size of my blogroll, I may have to cut it down to just favicons and titles. o_O;
Sheesh, with the size of my blogroll, I may have to cut it down to just favicons and titles. o_O;
Stereotypes exist for a REASON.
[07:46:17] [2] [Vendrian]: LF new pet mine is stoopid
[07:46:23] [39:Vendrian]: Level 39 Night Elf Hunter - Stormwind City
[07:46:23] 1 player total
[07:46:35] [2] [80:Rilgon]: 5g says he has a cat
[07:46:49] [2] [Jindon]: i'm betting on a devilsaur
[07:46:51] [2] [39:Vendrian]: right!
[07:46:54] [2] [80:Rilgon]: He's 39, he can't
[07:46:55] [2] [39:Vendrian]: cat
[07:46:56] [2] [80:Rilgon]: Plus he's a NElf
[07:46:56] [2] [Jindon]: oh
[07:47:06] [2] [80:Rilgon]: 5g plz
[07:47:07] [2] [80:Rilgon]: :]
[07:47:22] [2] [Jindon]: come to sw :p
[07:46:23] [39:Vendrian]: Level 39 Night Elf Hunter - Stormwind City
[07:46:23] 1 player total
[07:46:35] [2] [80:Rilgon]: 5g says he has a cat
[07:46:49] [2] [Jindon]: i'm betting on a devilsaur
[07:46:51] [2] [39:Vendrian]: right!
[07:46:54] [2] [80:Rilgon]: He's 39, he can't
[07:46:55] [2] [39:Vendrian]: cat
[07:46:56] [2] [80:Rilgon]: Plus he's a NElf
[07:46:56] [2] [Jindon]: oh
[07:47:06] [2] [80:Rilgon]: 5g plz
[07:47:07] [2] [80:Rilgon]: :]
[07:47:22] [2] [Jindon]: come to sw :p
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Prove me wrong.
It's not often that I issue a direct challenge to my blog followers, but I'm doing it today.
Prove me wrong. Prove me wrong that Surge-Needle Ring and Sealing Ring of Grobbulus, both 10-man drops from their respective bosses, are not best-in-slot and have no peer amongst 25-man ring drops.
Because I'm facing heavy resistance from some people I know to continue raiding 10-man content once our 25-man runs begin in earnest, and I'm adamant in my conclusion that SNR and SRoG are my best-in-slot rings. (For that matter, Chestguard of Flagrant Prowess is, IMO, my best-in-slot chest, which is from 10-man Sarth2D.)
If I'm missing something glaringly obvious, give me ye olde kick-in-the-ass. But I want these rings fiercely, and if my capacity for good 10-man Naxx/EoE raids are stripped away...
Prove me wrong. Prove me wrong that Surge-Needle Ring and Sealing Ring of Grobbulus, both 10-man drops from their respective bosses, are not best-in-slot and have no peer amongst 25-man ring drops.
Because I'm facing heavy resistance from some people I know to continue raiding 10-man content once our 25-man runs begin in earnest, and I'm adamant in my conclusion that SNR and SRoG are my best-in-slot rings. (For that matter, Chestguard of Flagrant Prowess is, IMO, my best-in-slot chest, which is from 10-man Sarth2D.)
If I'm missing something glaringly obvious, give me ye olde kick-in-the-ass. But I want these rings fiercely, and if my capacity for good 10-man Naxx/EoE raids are stripped away...
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